Thill-support.



No. 772,290. PATENTED ()GT. 11, 1904. W. M. NIX. THILL SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

I 'nvemor UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. NIX, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO EVETT D. NIX, OF

JOPLIN, MISSOURI;

THlLL-SUPPORT- SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 772,290, dated October 11, 1904. Application filed August 18, 1904. Serial No. 221,247. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. NIX, of J oplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thin-Supports; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a simpleand highly-eflicientthill-support adaptable for vehicles of different sizes and styles and which may be cheaplymanufactured and which will be composed of a minimum number of parts.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a portion of a vehicle with my improved support in place. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the support detached. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are side views showing the thill-engaging member and the support-engaging member in different positions.

Briefly stated, my improved support comprehends, first, a thill-supporting member, and, secondly, a support-engaging member holding the former in place, the two members having between them a certain yielding or resiliency, so as to readily accommodate vehicles of different sizes and lessen the liability of defacing the woodwork.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a thill-supportingmember, and 2 the supportengaging member. The latter is in the form of ahook, and the former is of approximately oblong formation. In practice I make the two members from one continuous wire bent into the necessary shape. The two outer longitudinal side rods 3 3, formed from the bending of the wire at 4, are bent inwardly at 5 and carried on approximately parallel lines, though not actually so, to form shorter longitudinal portions 6 and thence again twice bent to form the hooked ends, which are designed to engage the spring or bar of the vehicle and be supported thereby. The lower end of the device preferably engages the fifth-wheel when the thill is in engagement with the supporting member 1. The parts being formed from heavy spring-wire, there is between the side rods 3 and the inner able to any point within the length of the shorter longitudinal portions 6. While it serves to hold such side. rods as against undue spreading, its primary function is to act as a stop to limit the deflection in opposite directions of the hooked engaging member and the thill supporting member. It may be readily adjusted to any desired point according to the requirements of the vehicle to which the device is applied.

The advantages of my invention are apparent. It will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive thill-support which may be readily applied to vehicles of various sizes and styles and which being free from all complication is not liable to readily get out of order or be deranged. Not

only is a certain resiliency allowed to the support while holding the thills, but by reason .of this very fact the device has a wide range of usefulness.

I claim as my invention 1. A thill-support comprising a long memher for engaging the thill cross-bar, a shorter member extended longitudinally of the former member and having a hooked portion for engaging a fixed part of a vehicle, and a resilient or yielding connection between the two members.

2. A thill-support comprising a long member for engaging the thill cross-bar, a shorter member extended longitudinally of the former member and having a hooked portion for engaging a fixed part of a vehicle, a resilient or yielding connection between the two members, said members being capable of being deflected in opposite directions, and an adjustable stop for limiting such deflection.

3. A thill-support comprising a long member for engaging the thill cross-ban a shorter member extended longitudinally of the former member and having a hooked portion, all formed from one continuous spring-wire, and an adjustable stop for limiting the deflection between the two members.

4. A thill-support comprisinga thill-engaging member, and a support-engaging member, both formed from one continuous wire bent into two longitudinal portions, and two shorter longitudinal portions terminating in the support-engagingmember, and an adjustable stop specification in the presence of two subscrib- 3 ing witnesses.

WILLIAM M NIX. itnesses:

J. NoTA MoGILL, FRANCIS S. MAGUIRE. 

